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Sandia Prep’s seventh graders fanned out across the city during their back-to-school camps to perform a range of community service activities.

Working in their advisory groups, students visited one of five locations.

Dr. Chuck Buxbaum’s advisory went to the McKinney-Vento (Title I) facility of Albuquerque Public Schools. They were told that the number of children in Albuquerque who are unhoused or do not have safe or secure housing has more than doubled in recent years, from around 2,000 to almost 5,000.  

Students learned that the McKinney-Vento program provides clothing, food, school supplies, and toiletries to these students by going to their schools, motels, cars, or temporary living places. 

Prep students folded and packaged donated clothes and blankets, while others filled backpacks with notebooks, pens, pencils, folders, binders, and other supplies for high school students. 

Later this school year, the seventh grade will sponsor a schoolwide collection to donate to these children in need, Buxbaum said.

Bambi Otero's advisory volunteered at Roadrunner Food Bank, packaging food for New Mexican families in need.

Tommy Smith's and Noel Huitt's students helped out at Joy Junction, seeing first-hand the challenges faced by unhoused families.

Kimberly Thomason's and Sora Wondra's students braved the heat working at the Larry P. Abraham Agri-Nature Center in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, where they learned about restorative agricultural practices.

Ellie Kerbleski  ’13 took her advisees to an ecosystem restoration project just north of the Rio Grande Nature Center. Students worked with her former Prep classmate, Abe Aufdermauer '13, who is a staffer at the organization Rio Grande Return. They hand watered native plants that had just been planted using buckets and a water truck. They also helped pull out invasive species in the regrowth area. 

We are grateful for the dozen or so parents of seventh-grade students and Prep staff who helped drive and chaperone our students during this valuable experience.